[bigboydan]

I figured something like this would start to happen soon.

Internet firms to pay millions in suit
By Robert Patrick
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
12/19/2007

Three of the largest Internet companies have agreed to pay millions in fines and stop accepting online gambling ads, the U.S. Attorney's office announced today.

As part of the $31.5 million settlement, Microsoft, Google and Yahoo did not admit or deny federal prosecutors' claims that as much as a decade of the advertising aided and abetted a crime – online gambling.

U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway said that the settlement ends years of investigative work and 12 to 17 months of negotiations with the companies, and brings the total of Internet gambling-related settlements reached with the St. Louis office to $70 million.

One of the specialties of Hanway's office is the fight against online gaming. Her office recently reached civil and criminal settlements with BetOnSports, once one of the largest online gaming companies, that has shuttered the company. The case against company employees, officers and others is still open, however.

Google agreed to pay $3 million cash. Microsoft agreed to pay $4.5 million to the U.S., plus $7.5 million to the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children and $9 million to fund a three-year public service ad campaign aimed at educating users that online gambling is illegal.

Yahoo agreed to pay $3 million and run their own $4.5 million, three-year ad campaign.

[DrunkenLullaby]

Cunterine Hanaway's crusade marches on!

[TheOffshoreGambler]

Amazing these companies cave in the way they do...I wish just someone would show some backbone here and fight them..

[WileOut]

What I want to know is why the DOJ is beating around the bush. If internet gambling is so illegal, why aren't they simply going after the big boys? The books themselves? They have gone after a couple but why do they take one sportsbook down then stop? Why wouldn't they just take em all out one by one? Is this going to start happening? I hate this shit the news gets worse and worse every week.

[louisvillekid]

i got a good laugh out of that. 31.5 million? that is chump change to those companies. the war on gambling is about as worthless as the war on drugs.

[gotsteam]

THE USA Government's theft/extortion ring continues.



When will someone do something about the real criminals - George W and his bum buddies